Sikh Studied Bombs In U.s.

Fugitive Sought In Probe Of Jet Explosion

June 26, 1985|By Janet Cawley, Chicago Tribune.

TORONTO — One of two Sikh fugitives sought in connection with Sunday`s suspected bombing of two jumbo jets studied explosives and other commando skills at a two-week course at a mercenary training school near Birmingham, Ala., the wife of the school`s director confirmed Tuesday.

The two Sikhs also are suspected of a role in a plot to kill Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Mavis Camper, wife of Frank Camper, a Vietnam veteran who is founder and director of The Mercenary School, confirmed in a telephone interview that Lal Singh was one of four Sikhs who attended a two-week, $350 combat-survival course last November. She said explosives were included in the course but no direction was given on how to make bombs.

``We tell them what to look for,`` she said, ``the elements of construction of a bomb . . . what the components are and how they`re made, but there`s no instruction in making them.`` She said the explosives segment of the course was ``a small part, not even a day.``

Mrs. Camper said the four ``seemed to be disappointed in the course. It didn`t seem to be what they really wanted. They told me they liked the course, they thought it was good for what it did, learning to survive in the jungle. Maybe they wanted some kind of desert training. They did (ask) if I knew of any desert (schools). They told me they were checking into all schools like this.``

Lal Singh and Ammand Singh are being sought by the FBI on charges of conspiracy to assassinate Gandhi during his visit to the United States earlier this month.

Although Canadian officials have declined to link them to the two airline disasters, local news reports have quoted unnamed Indian government officials as saying they believed the two men were involved.

Both incidents involved planes that originated in Canada. One, an Air India flight from Toronto and Montreal to Bombay by way of London, plunged into the sea off the coast of Ireland, killing 329 people. The other, a Canadian Pacific Air flight from Vancouver to Tokyo, contained a bomb in its luggage compartment that exploded shortly after the aircraft touched down, killing two people.

There was speculation the piece of luggage containing the bomb may have been tagged for transfer to an Air India flight leaving Tokyo about two hours after the Canadian Pacific flight arrived.

Air India suspended flights to and from Canada on Tuesday, demanding better airport security.

In Ottawa, Natalie Kirschberg, a spokeswoman for the Department of External Affairs, said ``no conclusion has been drawn as yet`` regarding any possible link between any Sikh terrorists and the two airline disasters.

``Everything is being looked at. The jury is still out,`` she said.

Bill Carter, a spokesman for the FBI in Washington, said that after warrants were issued for Lal and Ammand Singh last May, the FBI contacted authorities in several countries, including Canada, ``which had large Sikh populations where they could be hiding out.``

A spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Ottawa had no comment on this, saying an investigation was underway.

She said that among the subjects the class studied were hand-to-hand combat, knife fighting, how to shoot and clean weapons, rope work, techniques for patrolling and how to go without sleep and water.

The entire course, she said, is conducted ``in the field.`` The school is located at Dolomite, Ala., about 15 miles west of Birmingham.

Mrs. Camper described Singh as ``very quiet, shy. I didn`t even know he could speak English for a couple days.``

She said that all four Sikhs in the course were ``friendly and polite``

and that they never indicated what they planned to do with the training.

Mrs. Camper said her husband`s school draws students from around the world, including Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Germany and Africa. An average class might have 12 to 15 students, she said.